Hydraulic machine



March 19, 1929. w. H. LIEBER HYDRAULI C MACHI NE Original Filed April10. 1922 energy convertingapparatus such Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED sit/:fritsg PA'rnNToFFICE.

WILLIAM I-I. LIEBER, OF `VKLAITIT-A'1OSA, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TOALLIS-CHALMERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0F MILW'AUKEE, WISCONSIN,v ACORPORATION DELAWARE.

HYDRAULIC MACHINE.

original application filed Aprii io, 1922, serial No. 551,087. inviatamia this application ined December Y 10, 1924. Serial N0. 754,915." 'y

. This invention relates generally to 'iinprovements in hydraulicmachines, and relates more specifically to improvements l-in theconstruction and operation offhy'draulic draulic turbines and pumps. y i

.A general object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic machinewhich is simple in construction and efficient inl operation.

Some of the more specific objects and advantages of the. presentimprovement are as follows: i i f `To provide au exceedingly simple,compact type.

To provide a hydraulic machine of rela- Y tively great capacity which iscompact in construction, and in which undesirable obstructions to flowof loperating fluid are avoided. Y n p Y y I To provide a verticalhydraulic installa-y tion in which the thrust induced bythe fluid nflowing' through the rotor is utilized to counlterbalance the Weight ofthe rotatingparts, thereby costly thrust bearings. -A M f v l,

To provide an improved turbineoperable under relatively *plow heads andat relatively high specific speeds, inl which-the costs Aof installationvand operation areY minimized'. I

To provide a hydraulic energy converting machine lcomprising a minimum`number of elementsor parts allof which are convenient- Aly accessiblefor inspection or removal, and

which' may be mantled. y y y A p Tor provideV a khydraulic turbine unitin which retardation of the flow due to the action of centrifugalforces, is substantially eliminated, and in which such action isutilized to the fullest'extent in order to augment the' lflow throughthe unit.

. To provide improvedrotor structurefor hydraulic machines especiallyVoperable at high'specific orcharacteristic speeds.'

Tov providev other improvements in the 1' construction'and operation ofthe'hydraulic' A machines such as rotarypumpsand'turbines.

plicationfSerial Number 551,087, :liledfApril f 10,1922, andany'novelfeatures of hydraulic machine construction ydisclosedbutnotspe- Vand efficient hydraulic machine of the rotary'yeliminating'necessity of providingk quickly assembledv andV disj Thepresent application'is a division of ape A clear conception ofseveralembodiments.

of the invention and ofthe operation of machines constructedinaccoidaiice therewith,

vmay be had by referring to the drawing accompanying and forming part ofthis specification, in which like reference characters designate thesame or similar parts in the various views.

Fig. 1 is a central vvertical section through a hydraulicturbine unitembodying a. rotor l of the purely radial flow type, in which theactuating fluid enters in the form ofa vo-rtrated in Fig.l 1, thesection being taken through theturbine rotor and the discharge passagethereof.

Fig. 3 is a ycentral vertical section through a hydraulic turbine unitembodying a rotor of the mixed flow type, in which the compo-` nents offiow of' the fluid througlitherotor areboth radial and axial: 'f i YFig. 4 is a side elevation of a radial outward flow rotor formed toproduce relatively high specific or characteristic speed.

Fig. 5 is a bottom view of the radial out- .wardflow rotor disclosed inFig. 4.

.Fig 'is a side elevation of a mixed flow A frotorformed toproducerelatively high char,-

acteristi'c'or specific speed, ,3.

Fig. is al bottom `View of the rotor disclosed in Fig. 6. i

Each of the hydraulic y trated innFigs. 1, 2 and Scomprisesgenerally alowercasing 12'forming avanefi'ee spiral inlet'chamber 5, a vanefrcetransition space A6, and an axially upwardly' directed vane freeconduitportion 7 communicating with thechainber 5, an upper casingportion 15 coopeiating'with substructureto provide an annularvane freediffuser orl iiow decelerating passage'; aturbine rotorSO, 2O locatedlbet'ween the communicating conduits 5, 8;

a vertical main shaft 43 having its lower end rigidly-attached to theturbine rotor;v and a mixed flo'w turbine units illusy dynamoelectricrmachine orgenerator 4- hav- ,y

upper 'end ofthe main 'shaft-'8.2 The spiral a rotary clement 'directconnected to thev Y eratingfluid from. asourceofsupply through avertically-.disposed inlet pipe 10 .having controlling means such as abutterfly valve therein, and cominunicating with the inlet chamber 5 ina generally tangential direction as shown in FigQ. The spiral inletchain- Vber 5 communicates inwardly with thesyinmetrica-l annularpassage or transition space 6 having a central symmetrical conical core137 23 therein and providing a vane free guiding and conducting passagefoi' gradually changing the flow of the fluid from inward to axial. Theupper easing portion may be spaced and supported from the lower turbinestructure by means of annular series of struts 16 located beyond theworking passages and formed as guide vanes in order to pro` duce leastobstruction to the flow vof the fluid `delivered from the chamber 8.'The upper casing 15 is also formed to provide a guiding surface adjacentto the turbine rotor and the central portion 17 of the casing 15provides a bearing for the main shaft 3 closely adjacent to the turbinerotor.' The periphery of the diffusing chamber 8 communicates with aconducting casing 18 forming a discharge chamber 9 which communicateswith a tail-V race in the usual manner. One side of the chambei` 8 maybe provided with a splitter 19 for dividing'the flow of the deceleratedfluid discharged from the chamber 8 into the chamber 9. By removing theupper casing 15 the turbine rotor 80, 2O is freely vertically removableand all interior port-ions Vof Y the several casings are readilyaccessible.

Referring specifically to the improvedrform of rotor disclosed in Figs.4 and 5, the rotor v3()l is 4ofthe purely radial outward flow type andcomprises an annular series of axially extending parallel vanes 31secured to a disk-like hub 32, the varies lillustrated having free lowerextremities as shown. The vanes 31 may be sospaced that the adjacentedges of Vsuccessive vanes do not overlap when the rotor is viewed inadirection transversely ofits axis. The angularity of the vanes is suchthat the working surfaces are disposed transversely. of the direction ofad" diffusing chamber 8. thus augmenting to a f maximum Athe vquantityof fluid passing through the machine.

:Referring specifically to the turbine rotor i. disclosed in Figs. 6 and7, the rotor 20is of the mixed jI'lowft-ype and comprises an annularseries ofdovefta-il shaped vanes 21 secured Y' to a conoidal hub 22andextending laterally and outwardly away from the hub, the vanes;

21 having free outer ends as shown. The

`varies 21 are so spaced that the adjacent edges of successive vanes donot overlap when such vanes are projected upon a. plane perpendicular tothe rotor axis. The angularity of theY vanes 21 is such that the workingsurfaces are disposed transversely of the direction of advancement ofthe individual stream lines of the vortex of operating fluid produced bythe chamber 5. rllie rotor 20 is adapted to deliver its VdischargeV inthe adjoining diffusing chamber 8 at an angle of approximately 45relatively to the turbine axis. By thus delivering thefluid, centrifugalforce induced in the whirling mass of liquid, assists in the deliverythereof to the' diffusing chamber 8' thus augmenting the quantityoffluid passing` through the machine.:

During normal operation of a hydraulicV turbine constructed in'accordance with the present invention, operating fluid under pressureisadmitted through the pipe 10 to the chamber 5, transition space 6, andaxially extending conduit 7, and from thence outwardly through the rotorto the diffusing and-decelerating chamber 8. The quantity of fluid thusadmitted through the pipe 10 is controllable either automaticallybymeans of a speed governor, vor .manually by manipulation of thebutterfly valve 1,1, and the flow -of fluid may be out off entirely byclosing the valve 11. In passing through the spiral inlet chamber 5 theentering fluid is caused torwhirl due to, the Aspiral formation of thelower casing 12, the direction of whirl being the same as the directionof rotation ofthe rotor. The

fluid is delivered inwardly-from the chamber 5 toward the rotor axis andintothe transition space 6 wherein the direction'of flow of the throughthe conduit 7 to the rotor wherein the velocity energy of they fluid istransformed into torque inthe rotating'shaft-B and produces rotation atrelativelyhigh specific'or characteristic speed. The fluid` is delivered,from the rotor with considerable residual whirl, directly into theloutwardly extending diffusing chamber 8. vIn, the chamber 8 the4 'yremaining velocity and whirl energy is' substantiallv converted intopressure energy and the fluid iseventually discharged tothe chamber 9with practically no whirll energy left therein and with only sufficientvelocity energy to produce a flow to the tail-race.

While passing throughthe rotorf20, 30 the` centrifugal force induced inthe whirling mass of fluid, assists in delivery thereof from jthe rotor.By vproviding rotors 20,' 80 having vnonfoverlapping properly shapedvanes,

friction and other energy losses are reduced to a minimum. v.lll/'bilethe inventionhas been illustrated hereinl as appliedto'vertical'hydraulic turbine installations"only,l it will bel obviousthat the features thereof are more vzgenerally applicable tof hydraulicrmachines of various types regardless of their disposition.

It should be understood that it is not desiredto limit the invention tothe exact details of construction and operation herein shown-anddescribed, -i'or Various modiiications within the scope of the claimsmay occur to persons skilled'in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent 1. A high speedhydraulic rotor comprisingga hub, and an annular series of Vanes eX-tending away from said hub and along` and spirally with respect to thehub axis, theinlet and discharge edges of' thesuccessive Vanes of saidseries being spaced apart circumferentially and said'vanes being formedfor out-V ward delivery 'of liquid through said spaces allel to andspirally with respect to the hub` axis, the inlet and discharge edges ofthe successive Vanes of said series being substantially parallel to eachother and being spaced apart cireuinferentially with respect to saidaxis, said Vanes being formed for outward delivery of liquid throughsaid spaces when the rotor is operating as a turbine.v

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is aflixed hereto.

WILLIAM II. LIEBER..

